Amazon planning Android App Store?

The Wall Street Journal has reported that Amazon.com is planning to open an applications store for the Android mobile platform. Such a store would mimic Apple's App Store for iPhones and iPads. Google's Android Marketplace currently has about 80,000 applications, compared to 270,000 available in the Apple Store.

An Amazon spokesman told Reuters in an e-mail reply that the company has not made any such announcement yet, while Google declined comment completely, reminding the news outlet that it does not comment on rumor or speculation.

According to the WSJ, Amazon will offer developers 70 percent of the revenue from any sales, which is the same Apple offers app developers for its own platforms.

Android is being used in mobile devices such as Motorola's Droid and Samsung's Galaxy S, and is quickly gaining popularity in the smartphone market.